Method of a message modification in a communication system and a device for performing the method

ABSTRACT

There is provided a method of a modification of a message in a communication system and a device for execution of the method. After receiving a message, the message being delivered into a receiver communication unit through data communication means and stored in a storage unit, there is a password allocated to the sender, the password being allocated with respect to available information about an identity of the sender, and the password is delivered back to the transmitter communication unit as acknowledgement message and serves the sender as a key for obtaining an access to functions of modification and/or deleting a message stored in the receiver communication unit.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a method of a message modification in acommunication system and a device for performing the method, thecommunication system including at least one transmitter communicationunit, data communication means and at least one receiver communicationunit, and the message modification being performed after the message hasbeen sent from a home communication unit to a target one.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known communication systems comprising a transmittercommunication unit, data communication means end a receivercommunication unit. Communication units may be both mobile and fixed.E.g. in an electronic-mail system, there are systems working in such amanner, that a created message, an electronic document, is by means of acomputerised system, operating as data communication means, transmittedat first to a server of a provider of the connection and then to a mailserver of an addressee. The electronic message shall be stored in themail server, until it is withdrawn by the addressee.

By analogy, by transmission of audio messages and/or those in a textform, within the framework of a communication system, there is at oneside created an audio and/or text message, which is by means of datacommunication means, such as a telephone network portable or fixed radiofacilities, cellular wireless telephone devices etc., transmitted to areceiver communication unit, e.g. a telephone or a fax recorder.

In each case, from the moment of sending an electronic document and/or amessage in audio or text from the transmitter communication unit, thesender has no possibility to modify and/or delete the message, in spiteof the fact that the addressee has not withdrawn or read the messageyet. If the sender later wishes to hand over some information thatdiffers from that one included in the document delivered previously, hehas only one possibility to do so, that is, to send another documentreferring to the original one

It is an object of the invention to provide a method for a modificationof a message which has already been sent away.

DISCLOSURE AND OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is achieved and the foregoing problems aresolved by a method of a message modification in a communication systemincluding at least one transmitter communication unit, datacommunication means and at least one receiver communication unit inaccordance with the present invention comprising a procedure in whichafter receiving a message, the message being delivered into a receivercommunication unit through data communication means and stored in astorage unit, there is a password allocated to the sender, the passwordbeing allocated with respect to available information about an identityof the sender, and the password is delivered back to the transmittercommunication unit as acknowledgement message and serves the sender as akey for obtaining an access to functions for modification and/ordeleting a message stored in a communication unit of the receiver.Besides the access password there may be also delivered otherinformation the receiver wants to pass to the sender. Further inaccordance with the invention the received message is analysed, andprovided its parameters are different from required ones, the sender isinvited to modify the message. Still in accordance with the inventionthere is created an archive copy of a delivered message, which by meansof the access password has been modified and/or deleted by the sender.According another aspect of the invention there is provided an equipmentfor performing the said method, the equipment including at least onetransmitter communication unit, data communication means and at leastone receiver communication unit, where the data communication meanscomprise computerised system, preferably an Internet computer, network.According to another preferred feature of this aspect of the inventionthe transmitter and/or receiver communication unit comprise anelectronic unit and/or a system of electronic units, preferably acomputer. Further in accordance with a preferred feature of theinvention the data communication means comprise telecommunication means.Still in accordance with a preferred feature of the invention thetransmitter and/or receiver communication unit comprise telephone and/orfax devices.

The method of a modification of a message which has been sent from ahome communication unit through a communication system to a targetcommunication unit facilitates a solution of the situation where thesender has dispatched an incorrect message, or where from the time ofdispatching the message to its withdrawal by an addressee, conditionshave altered so much that the said message has lost its validity. Insuch a case this invention allows the sender to change or delete themessage without bothering the addressee with an invalid message.

The subject matter of this invention brings further advantages in caseswhere a message in some its characteristic features, like structuredinformation such as an electronic signature, theme classificationaccording a given standard, file number, etc., does not meet demands ofthe addressee. The communication unit of the addressee analyses thereceived message and the modification system according to the inventionallows the sender to demand completion and/or modification of themessage even before the addressee is able to withdraw it.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF INVENTION EXECUTION First Example

There is described a modification of an electronic message in acommunication system, namely within a framework of a message exchangethrough the Internet computer network.

As a transmission and/or a receiver communication unit there is appliedan electronic unit such as computer and comprise input and output unitsand is connected to a storage unit, e.g. a mail server.

As data communication means there is used a computerised system such asthe Internet computer network.

The sender dispatches a message from, his computer and the message isthrough the Internet network delivered to a receiver mail server. Thereceiver communication unit allocates an access password to the receivedmessage the decision about the access password allocation being basedupon available information about the identity of the sender.

Within the receiver communication unit it is possible to set moreprograms, advantageously two programs for edition and allocation ofaccess passwords. The first program provides for edition of a newpassword for each received message irrespective to the identity of thesender.

In the other case the identity of the sender is taken into account.Provided the identity is unknown to the receiver communication unit,which means the identity is a new one, there is a new access passwordcreated for this sender. On the contrary, the identity being known tothe receiver unit, which means the sender has previously transmitted amessage to the receiver unit and has therefore already received hispersonal access password, the receiver unit decides not to allocate anew password and the sender may further modify his messages using theoriginal access password.

The edited access password as a return message is sent by the receivercommunication unit back to the transmitter communication unit. Thereturn message including the access password may comprise also furtherinformation the addressee wishes to pass to the sender.

The access password enables the sender to modify and/or to delete themessage which is stored at the receiver mail server and has not beenwithdrawn yet.

As an optional function the receiver communication unit may in a furtherstep analyse the received message and when finding it's parametersunsatisfactory or different from desired ones it demands the sender tomodify the message.

As another optional function the receiver communication unit creates anarchive copy of the original message which has been later modified orerased by the sender using his access password.

The Second Example

There is described a method of a modification of an audio message and/ora text message in a communication system, in which the transmittercommunication unit and/or the receiver ones are provided for by anelectronic unit and/or a telephone set and/or a facsimile device and atelecommunication means are represented by the data communication means.

The sender dispatches a message, e.g. an audio message from hiscommunication unit and the message is delivered to the receivercommunication unit where it is recorded in a storage unit. The receivercommunication unit allocates an access password, the allocation beingbased upon available information about the identity of the sender.

Within the receiver communication unit it is possible to set moreprograms, advantageously two programs for edition and allocation ofaccess passwords. The first program provides for edition of a newpassword for each received message irrespective to the identity of thesender. In this case there may be used even a simple receivercommunication unit, such as a telephone recorder, which performs noidentification of the sender and immediately issues an access passwordfor each delivered message.

In the other case the identity of the sender is taken into account.Provided the identity is unknown to the receiver communication unit,which means the identity is a new one, a new access password is createdfor this sender. On the contrary the identity being known to thereceiver unit, which means the sender has previously transmittedmessages to the receiver unit and has therefore already received hispersonal access password, the receiver unit decides not to allocate anew password and the sender may modify his further messages using theoriginal access password.

The edited access password as a return message is sent by the receivercommunication unit back to the transmitter communication unit. Thereturn message including the access password may comprise also furtherinformation the addressee wishes to pass to the sender.

The access password allows the sender to modify and/or cancel themessage stored at the receiver mail server and has not been withdrawnyet.

As an optional function the receiver communication unit may in a furtherstep analyse the received message and when finding its parametersunsatisfactory or different from desired ones it demands the sender tomodify the message.

As another optional function the receiver communication unit creates anarchive copy of the original message which has been later modified orerased by the sender using his access password.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

The method of message modification in the communication system after itsdispatching from the home communication unit to a target one isapplicable in fields of computer and/or telecommunication techniques,namely for electronic mail systems and in such a case, the interchangeof messages should be realised under variable circumstances requiringsome modifications of already delivered messages.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of a message modification in acommunication system including at least one transmitter communicationunit data communication means and at least one receiver communicationunit, characterized in, that after receiving a message, the messagebeing delivered into a receiver communication unit through datacommunication means and stored in a storage unit, there is a passwordallocated to the sender, the password being allocated with respect toavailable information about an identity of the sender, and the passwordis delivered back to the transmitter communication unit asacknowledgement message and serves the sender as a key for obtaining anaccess to functions of modification and/or deleting a message havingbeen stored in the receiver communication unit.
 2. The method of messagemodification according to claim 1, characterized in, that besides theaccess password there are delivered other information the receiver wantsto pass to the sender.
 3. The method of message modification accordingto claim 1, characterized in, that a received message is analysed, andprovided its parameters differ from required ones, the sender is invitedto modify the message.
 4. The method of message modification accordingto claim 1, characterized in, that there is created an archive copy of adelivered message, which by means of the access password has beenmodified and/or deleted by the sender.
 5. An equipment for performingthe method of message modification according to claim 1, the equipmentcomprising at least one transmitter communication unit, datacommunication means and at least one receiver communication unit,characterized in, that the data communication means comprisecomputerised system, preferably an internet computer network.
 6. Anequipment for performing the method of message modification according toclaim 1, the equipment comprising at least one transmitter communicationunit, data communication means and at least one receiver communicationunit, characterized in, that the transmitter and/or receivercommunication unit comprise an electronic unit and/or a system ofelectronic units, preferably a computer.
 7. An equipment for performing,the method of message modification according to claim 1, the equipmentcomprising at least one transmitter communication unit, datacommunication means and at least one receiver communication unit,characterized in, that the data communication means comprisetelecommunication means.
 8. An equipment for performing the method ofmessage modification according to claim 1, the equipment comprising atleast one transmitter communication unit, data communication means andat least one receiver communication unit, characterized in, that thetransmitter and/or receiver communication unit comprise telephone and/orfax devices.